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Tipped Off About Tests?; How Was She Hired?; Donda West's Doctor; Gerri's Top Tips
Aired November 14, 2007 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Were not justified. Will the Americans be prosecuted?
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A Lebanese woman, her relatives with possible terror ties. How did she end up on the payroll at the FBI and CIA? Security blunder. This Wednesday, November 14th. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
A test of airport security, but were screeners tipped off ahead of time? A House committee is looking into the problem this hour. Homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve joins us.
Jeanne, good morning to you.
If we're taking a flight, can we be confident TSA screeners are doing their job?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's just the question. The Transportation Security Administration says it tests screeners every day at every airport. But the big question at the congressional hearing today will be, are those tests valid?
At issue was an e-mail that surfaced a couple of weeks ago indicating that top TSA management tipped off airports about undercover testing. The e-mail described a couple who were doing the testing and just how they would do it. The questions being asked today will include, is such notification routine? And if it is, what do we really know about the quality of screening at the nation's airports.
On the hot seat today, the top man at the TSA, Kip Hawley. He is expected to defend the integrity of his agency's testing regime. And just to clarify what we're talking about, Tony. It's when they take pieces of bombs and hide them in carry-on luggage and then try and slip those past the screeners.
HARRIS: OK. Well, let me see if I can clarify this a bit. Is there any kind of notification to airports -- certainly shouldn't be going to the screeners -- but to the airports that the testing is being done.
MESERVE: Yes. We spoke yesterday with Clark Kent Ervin. He's a former inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security. In fact, he's testifying at this hearing today. He told us that the top security officials at airports are routinely given 10 or 15 minutes notice so that testers aren't mistaken for actual terrorists and trigger a major incident. But Ervin said his testers on several occasions did feel that screeners knew who they were and what they were doing and there have been a couple of specific cases previously reported where testing has been compromised in Jackson, Mississippi, and also in San Francisco.
HARRIS: Our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve.
Jeanne, thanks.
MESERVE: You bet.
COLLINS: Developing this morning, the Blackwater investigation and a new report that Iraqi civilians were killed without cause. The report from today's "New York Times." The paper says the FBI found 14 of the 17 civilians' killings were unjustified. "The Times" says the FBI found no evidence Blackwater employees were fired on by Iraqi civilians. A Blackwater spokeswoman issued a statement saying the company supports "stringent accountability." The company says if it is found that one person was complicate in the wrongdoing, "we would support accountability in that."
A major change of plan on the issue of illegal immigration. New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is giving up his proposal to give driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. Spitzer had said all along his plan was about security, keeping track of people and keeping the roads safe. But opponents say illegal immigrants should not get the privilege of a license. Last hour Spitzer said he made a decision because the public was not behind him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ELIOT SPITZER, (D) NEW YORK: I continue to believe that my proposal would have improved an unsatisfactory situation, but I have listened to the legitimate concerns of the public and those who would be affected by my proposal and have concluded that pushing forward unilaterally in the face of such strong opposition would be counterproductive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: The issue doesn't just affect New Yorkers. Last week in Washington, a Republican congressman introduced a bill to stop states from granting licenses to undocumented aliens.
HARRIS: High stakes for O.J. Simpson. A Las Vegas hearing is expected to wrap up today. It will determine whether there is enough evidence for Simpson and two other men to stand trial. They're charged with bursting into a hotel room and robbing two memorabilia dealers at gunpoint. One witness, a Simpson buddy, who took part in the confrontation, is now testifying against him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was upset that he had gotten me into all this trouble that he had gotten me into.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You were upset that he wasn't going to put up your bail money, correct?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) answer the question before the next question, if possible.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was upset . . .
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. That's fine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't hear the answer because the questions are coming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was upset because he had gotten me into all this trouble and he didn't seem to care whatsoever what happened to me after this had happened, being that he knew that this was -- this was his problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, Simpson was there. He says that there was no robbery. He was merely recovering items that belonged to him. If convicted in a trial, the former football star could go to prison for life. And when that hearing begins, you can see it live by logging on to cnn.com.
More investigations planned after police shot and killed an unarmed teen at his mother's New York apartment. City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says the shooting was within department guidelines. Police say they believed Khiel Coppin had a gun.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAYMOND KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER: Khiel continued in the officers direction, ignoring multiple directives to stop, show his hands, and get down on the ground. As he closed the distance between him and the officers, he reached under his sweatshirt, pulled an object, and pointed it in the officers direction as if he were aiming a gun.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: But as it turned out, the 18-year-old was holding a hairbrush. Family members and other community leaders say the shooting was unjustified.
COLLINS: A Philadelphia teenager in serious trouble. He is charged with shooting to undercover narcotics officers. Police say the two officers will be OK but it's the latest in a rash of shootings against police. There have been five shootings, in fact, in less than three months. About two weeks ago an officer died from a bullet to the head when he walked in on a robbery.
The FBI and CIA facing security questions on the inside. Both agencies hired a woman with possible ties to terrorism. More now from Kevin Dietz of affiliate WDIV.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KEVIN DIETZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): This is Nada Prouty being whisked away from federal court. She pleaded guilty to a story that sounds like a spy novel. According to these federal documents, she came to Detroit from Lebanon and paid a local man to marry her so she could become a citizen.
After the fraudulent marriage, she applies for and somehow gets a job as an FBI agent assigned to Washington, D.C. She will later go on to become a CIA agent as well. Now we know, as an FBI agent, she illegally accessed computer files and took them home with her.
The case involved a Detroit terror investigation into the owner of La Shish restaurants in metro Detroit. Khalil Chahine, being investigated for going to fund-raisers for some of the world's most feared terrorists. It turns out Chahine is her brother-in-law, married to Nada Prouty's sister.
Where did Nada Prouty work before the FBI? You guessed it, at La Shish restaurant as a waitress. Lawyers and government officials rushed out of the courthouse with little or no comment. The U.S. attorney making a brief statement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN MURPHY, U.S. ATTORNEY: Miss Prouty was actually accessing confidential information and that's not something you want an individual who's obtained these positions by fraud to be doing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Prouty is now out on bond. She faces up to nine months in prison and could be deported. Her brother-in-law fled to Lebanon to escape federal tax charges and her sister is about six months into an 18-month prison term for tax evasion.
HARRIS: Still no answers on what exactly killed the mother of music mogul Kanye West. A coroner's spokesman says complications from cosmetic surgery may have led to Donda West's death on Saturday. More tests are being conducted. Celebrity website Tmz.com reports a Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon said he recently refused to operate on her. The surgeon says he wanted the medical clearance. He feared a condition could lead to a heart attack. Tmz.com, by the way, is owned by CNN's parent company, Time Warner.
Meantime, some disturbing new details about the doctor who did operate on West. Here's CNN's David Mattingly.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): No doubt about it, Dr. Jan Adams sounds like he knows what he's doing. Just listen as he describes how to do a breast lift.
DR. JAN ADAMS: And what you want to do is maintain the nerve supply and the vascular blood supply to the nipple. MATTINGLY: He has a made for TV style that's taken him everywhere from Discovery to Oprah. He's written a book. He has a line of skin products for women of color. And he's been billed as a top Beverly Hills surgeon.
But that kind of high profile doesn't help where it counts. Not in the operating room. Not in court. And not with the medical board of California. Dr. Adams has two DUIs in the last four years and the board will decide if it needs to suspend or even revoke his license. That would be a big blow to someone who seems to have been on the star track since college. Harvard, Michigan, and a prestigious fellowship in plastic surgery in UCLA.
His record in private practice, however, has been trouble. The state lists two malpractice judgments against Adams in 2001, both totaling nearly a half million dollars. One of the women who sued him told us Adams ruined her face.
But none of this has stopped Adams from becoming a go-to sound bite when the topic is plastic surgery. Still, Adams won't comment about the death of his patient, Donda West, but celebrity news site TMZ says he told them she came in for a breast reduction and a tummy tuck. One of the riskiest of all the popular procedures.
ALAN MATARASSO, AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLASTIC SURGEONS: They all have their own degree of difficulties. It's like saying, is it harder to play second base or short stop. I mean they're all difficult, but, unfortunately, the risks are greatest with this.
MATTINGLY: The coroner wouldn't comment on a cause of death for Donda West. He'll wait for test results before he says any more. In a statement to CNN, Adams expressed condolences to a family. He cited a sacred bond of confidentiality between patient and doctor and says he won't comment publicly until he's talked with the family.
David Mattingly, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Quickly want to get you to the president. He's standing there at the podium in the middle of the swearing in ceremonies for the new attorney general, Michael Mukasey. The 81st attorney general. Let's go ahead and listen in for a moment.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I appreciate you all coming to witness it. I particularly want to thank the chief justice of the United States, John Roberts, who is here to swear in the general. I want to thank members of my cabinet who have taken time off to come and welcome a new cabinet member.
I appreciate very much that Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has joined us, along with Sam Brownback and Senator Lindsey Graham. Thank you all for coming and thank you for making sure this good man not only made it to the floor of the Senate, but was confirmed. I want to thank former Attorney General John Ashcroft and welcome John, as well as former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh. Thank you all for coming.
The job of the attorney general is one of the most important in our nation's government. The attorney general must run the world's largest law firm and the central agency for enforcement of our federal laws. He must aggressively prosecute gun criminals and drug dealers, hold corporate wrongdoers to account, protect victims of child abuse and domestic violence, and uphold the civil rights of every American.
In this time of war, the job of the attorney general is also vital to America's national security. The attorney general is responsible for our law enforcement community's efforts to detect, prevent, and disrupt terrorist attacks here at home. He must make certain that our intelligence and law enforcement communities work hand in hand to protect the American people from terrorist threats. He must ensure that we do everything within the law to defend the security of all Americans, while at the same time protecting the liberty of all Americans.
Judge Michael Mukasey is the right man to take on these vital challenges. Michael understands the law from both sides of the bench. He served for more than 18 years as a U.S. district court judge in New York, including six years as the chief judge. He was a lawyer in private practice. He served as an assistant United States attorney in Manhattan where he headed the official corruption unit.
Judge Mukasey also understands the challenges facing our nation in this time of war. He has written wisely on matters of constitutional law and national security. He knows what it takes to fight the war on terror effectively and he knows how to do it in a manner that is consistent with our laws and our constitution. He will bring clear purpose and resolve to the job of attorney general. I look forward to working with him as a member of my cabinet and a key player in our national security team.
As our new attorney general, Michael Mukasey follows in the footsteps of a fine man and a fine American, Al Gonzales. I have known Al since our days working together in the state of Texas. As White House counsel and as attorney general in my administration, Al Gonzales worked tirelessly to make this country safer and to ensure that all Americans receive equal justice before the law.
For many years, I have witnessed his integrity, his decency, and his deep dedication to the cause of justice. I'm grateful for his friendship. I thank him for his service to our nation and Laura and I wish him and his wife, Becky, and their children, Jared, Graham and Gabe, all the very best.
And I also thank Peter Keisler who has served as acting attorney general during Judge Mukasey's confirmation process. Peter delayed his plans to leave the Justice Department in order to ensure that the department had strong leadership during these past months. Appreciate the job you have done. With his departure, many of the most senior positions at the Department of Justice be now be vacant. In a time of war, it's vital that these positions be filled quickly. So in consultation with the attorney general, I will announce tomorrow my nominations for several of these senior leadership positions and I will look forward to working with the Senate to fill these important positions at the Justice Department so that America has the strongest, most capable national security team in place.
As he embarks on his new responsibilities, Michael Mukasey has my complete trust and confidence. And he's going to have the trust and confidence of the men and women of the Department of Justice. The people here are good people, hard-working Americans. From the headquarters, to U.S. attorneys offices, to remote post overseas, these fine Americans, judge, are working to keep the American people safe.
They work every day to fulfill the most important function of the federal government and that's to protect the American people from harm. Their efforts are essential to the security of America. The people who work for Justice deserve the very best leadership and you're going to have it with Judge Michael Mukasey.
You'll find out what I found out -- Judge Mukasey is a decent man, an outstanding lawyer, and a strong leader and I'm really looking forward to his wise counsel in the months ahead.
Judge, I want to thank you for agreeing to serve our country once again. Congratulations.
And now I ask Chief Justice John Roberts to administer the oath of office.
JOHN ROBERTS, CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT: Raise your hand an repeat after me. I, Michael B. Mukasey, do solemnly swear.
MICHAEL MUKASEY: I, Michael B. Mukasey, do solemnly wear.
ROBERTS: That I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States.
MUKASEY: That I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States.
ROBERTS: Against all enemies foreign and domestic.
MUKASEY: Against all enemies foreign and domestic.
ROBERTS: That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.
MUKASEY: That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.
ROBERTS: That I take this obligation freely.
MUKASEY: That I take this obligation freely.
ROBERTS: Without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.
MUKASEY: Without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.
ROBERTS: And that I will well and faithfully discharge.
MUKASEY: And that I will well and faithfully discharge.
ROBERTS: The duties of the office of which I am about to enter.
MUKASEY: The duties of the office of which I'm about to enter.
ROBERTS: So help me God.
MUKASEY: So help me God.
ROBERTS: Congratulations.
COLLINS: So there you have it, the official ceremonial swearing in of the 81st attorney general of the United States, Michael Mukasey. As you know, he replaces Alberto Gonzales. He's got 14 months now left in the president's term to sort of turn around, if you will, the Justice Department. This is the third attorney general for the Bush administration. As you know, he actually was sworn in officially last Friday so that he could basically go ahead and start working getting some of those classified briefings from his national security aides. So this was the ceremonial, official swearing in.
HARRIS: The stock market is in flux. Your home's value is in danger. How to protect your life savings by taking steps now. CNN's Gerri Willis offers her expertise.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Heidi Collins.
Is this a blessed breakfast? A Florida woman says this is no ordinary pancake.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. Let's get you to the New York Stock Exchange right now. Check of the big board. Inside the first hour of the trading day and we're up. The Dow is up 29 points. The Nasdaq up 4 -- plus 5? Plus 5. OK. All right. That's better than flat. So we are checking the markets throughout the morning. Stephanie Elam is in for Susan Lisovicz. We will talk to Stephanie in just a couple of minutes right here in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: The stock market is on a white knuckle ride. It seems like it's been that way for a while. Real estate is in a slump and you can't be too prepared when it comes to your money. And here with advice now on how to hedge your bets, CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis.
Gerri, nice to see you.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Heidi.
COLLINS: So it looks like maybe one of the first things we should be doing is really creating some type of cushion. I imagine you mean save your money.
WILLIS: Yes. Well, aim to have three to six months worth of living expenses in the bank, emergency funds. They're becoming even more vital now. Hey, you don't know if you're getting that bonus or maybe your raises are going to be even smaller this year. A good investment here, and FDIC insured money market account to help you reach this goal. Set aside a certain amount of your paycheck each and every month. Have that automatically transferred to your account.
And when you're deciding, shopping around for the right bank, look for the one operating in the highest yield. You want a money market account that is compounded daily rather than quarterly. You'll make more money that way. And, remember, you don't have to choose a local bank. Generally banks with an online presence offer a better rate. Check out bankrate.com for a list of the highest yielding money market accounts.
COLLINS: Bonus? Did you say bonus? I like the sound of that. I can't get past that.
WILLIS: Yes.
COLLINS: You also say that we should really be expanding our skills. What do you mean by that?
WILLIS: Well, you know, employers are less likely to lay off people with specialized skills. So investigate classes and other forms of training that can boost your job value. Scan sites related to your career. Maybe there are new requirements that keep appearing on job description that interest you. Look into continuing studies programs at your local college. Find the list of colleges in your area that offer programs. Go to collegesurfing.com. Great website.
COLLINS: OK. Very good. What about bringing home more bacon? Just go get a second job?
WILLIS: Well, sometimes your paycheck isn't cutting it. Let's face it. If you've thought about doing some extra work on the side, check out the website sologig.com. Now this site posts freelance consulting, work from home jobs. Another great website, guru.com. It's designed to hook up freelancers with job opportunities. And if you're just interested in work from home jobs, check out homenet.pro. This site lists a number of work at home opportunities. And we get a lot of e-mail on this, Heidi, I've go to tell you.
COLLINS: I bet. Yes, very popular choice.
What about taking the long view? Just sit back, relax and look at the big picture?
WILLIS: Yes. Well, listen, the housing market -- I talk a lot about that -- has been one of the primary downers in the economy. Even if you've been paying your mortgage faithfully each and every month, foreclosures in your neighborhood could hurt the value of your property. Sub prime foreclosures will cost 45 million homes to lose a total of $223 billion in wealth over the next few years.
Now this works out to about $5,000 for each household that is near a foreclosed household. So if you're in this situation, if you can, wait to sell your home until the housing market becomes more favorable. Don't start any long-term expensive projects. Those major home renos won't return much in a bad market. And maintain a healthy long-term view of the housing market. Hey, it will help you weather the current slump.
And if you have any questions, send them to us at toptips@cnn.com. We answer them here every Friday. We love to hear from you.
COLLINS: Gerri, where were you 14 months ago when I did that major home renovation?
WILLIS: I know. I know. You've got to watch out for those foreclosures in your neighborhood. They're a killer.
COLLINS: Yes. All right. Gerri Willis, our personal finance editor.
Thanks, Gerri.
WILLIS: My pleasure.
HARRIS: What are we talking about here? A flapjack for the faithful? That's what a Florida woman says she cooked up. Marilyn Smith says she was hungry for some pancakes, not a spiritual shout out, but this is what came off the griddle on Sunday morning. She says the image looks like Jesus or maybe Moses. What do you think? What do you think? Take a look there.
COLLINS: Mickey Mouse?
HARRIS: Mickey Mouse? Smith's daughter is seeing dollar signs in the divine. She is auctioning the Mickey Mouse flap -- I'm sorry -- she's auctioning the pancake on eBay.
COLLINS: Yes.
It may look fresh, but is your hamburger really safe to eat? Claims of misleading meat packaging just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Good morning once again, everybody. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Heidi Collins.
HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.
Developing this morning, the Blackwater investigation and a new report that Iraqi civilians were killed without cause. The report from today's "New York Times." The paper says the FBI found that 14 of the 17 civilians killed, that the killings were unjustified. "The Times" says the FBI found no evidence Blackwater employees were fired on by Iraqi civilians. A Blackwater spokeswoman issued a statement saying the company supports stringent accountability. The company says if it is found that one person was complicit in the wrongdoing "we would support accountability in that."
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Having seen the opposition in Pakistan, cameras were rolling today as police seized another major government critic. Imran Khan was hauled off while attending a student protest against the state of emergency declared by President Pervez Musharraf. Meanwhile, opposition leader Benazir Bhutto remains under house arrest. She's called for the president to step down. All this as the U.S. intensifies pressure on Pakistan's leader to end the emergency order. Washington will dispatch Deputy Secretary Of State John Negroponte to Islamabad on Friday. A senior state department official tells CNN Negroponte will tell President Musharraf how seriously the U.S. views his emergency order and suggest he rescind it and allow free and fair elections.
HARRIS: Racism or a very bad joke. The FBI launches an investigation in Louisiana looking at another noose. CNN's Sean Callebs has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A noose. A bull whip attached to something called Bill's Whipping Post, not relics tucked away in a museum but actual items allegedly displayed in a white supervisor's officer at the Jefferson Parish Sewerage Department. Terrence Lee, a 13 year sewerage employee, says he put up with seeing what he describes as racist symbols for six years before finally blowing the whistle on his boss.
TERENCE LEE, ALLEGED VICTIM: I'm beat. I'm broke down. I cried, and, you know, I'm a man, but I can cry, too.
CALLEBS: Lee is represented by attorney Danatus King who says he will file a civil suit against the parish. King is also head of the New Orleans NAACP.
DANATUS KING, ATTORNEY: The terminology I use for them are really tools of terrorism because that's what they are. They're designed to instill fear.
CALLEBS: Lee says he took these photos two years ago, but the items were apparently still around as recently as last week when they were seized by Jefferson Parish officials and turned over to the FBI. Disciplinary action has been taken against the supervisor. A call by CNN to his home was answered by a female who said, no comment. Parish president Aaron Broussard says his office has already interviewed 40 people about the situation.
AARON BROUSSARD, JEFFERSON PARISH PRESIDENT: I am not going to tolerate any of our public workplaces being play grounds for prejudice in Jefferson Parish. CALLEBS: The FBI is investigating whether hate crimes were committed in Jefferson Parish, but offers this.
JAMES BERNANZANI, FBI: Just be careful what you read because we're the ones conducting the investigation. It is not done. The facts have not been surfaced.
CALLEBS: For one, whistle-blower Terrence Lee had just been suspended from his job. While Lee says he filed a number of earlier grievances, Parish officials say they have found none. Still, disgruntled or not, a whip, a noose, a whipping post, Parish sources tell CNN the wooden device is something called a butt kicking machine, and when this rope is killed, a boot swings up. Nonsense says Lee's attorney.
KING: There would be no question about interpretation if that office instead of having a noose, if it was adorned with swastikas.
CALLEBS: Investigators must decide whether all this was more than a very bad joke and, instead, fostered an atmosphere of intimidation and hate. Sean Callebs, CNN, New Orleans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: A city gets a $100 million gift from an anonymous friend. Everybody in Erie, Pennsylvania, will benefit, but nobody knows who to thank. Mike Bachelor is the head of the Erie Community Foundation, and he gave the good news to leaders from 46 different charities. They're all getting a piece of that $100 million donation. Some of them will get $2 million. The donor doesn't want to be identified except as an anonymous friend. Love that story.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Fatherly advice from Saddam Hussein? An FBI interrogator talking about his time with Iraq's dictator.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Out of control on a freeway. If you missed it this last hour, we're going to show it to you again. See those two guys in the fast lane, dodging cars and punches. Not sure what they were thinking, but it's coming up again in the CNN NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: You know, when it comes to putting food on the table, can you believe your eyes? Can you tell if that meat is safe to eat? CNN's Lisa Sylvester takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just how old is this meat? Despite its bright red color, it's actually nearly two years old. Spoiled and well past its expiration date according to an Energy and Commerce Congressional Sub Committee. Large food companies have been injecting meat packaging with carbon monoxide that gives it an artificial fresh look. The committee chair grilled meat industry executives saying consumers are being duped because the products are not labeled. In fact, some meat packages say all natural.
REP. BART STUPAK (D), MICHIGAN: Should science be allowed to deceive the consumer of the product you're about to purchase?
SYLVESTER: The companies argue shoppers should go by the sell-by date, not by the look of the packaging. But consumer groups say that's not enough.
WENONAH HAUTER, FOOD AND WATER WATCH: This sell by date is so small that I can hardly see it with my progressive lenses and an elderly person would not be able to see it. This is deceptive packaging.
SYLVESTER: The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved carbon monoxide packaging based on data provided by the industry. But Representative Bart Stupak produced an internal e-mail from the company Hormel that called into question the validity of the data. Hormel acknowledges the memo but says the process is still safe. The industry points out there have been no deaths or illnesses.
GREGORY PAGE, CARGILL, INC.: It allows us to pack case-ready product in our plant and provide the maximum available shelf life to consumers and provide them with a tamper-proof, leak-proof package they can rely on in their own homes.
SYLVESTER: Many major U.S. beef companies have told the government they either plan to or are open to warning consumers that they can't rely on the color of meat to tell freshness. The European Union, Japan, and Canada have all banned the use of carbon monoxide in packaging. The Food and Drug Administration has never done an independent review looking into the safety of carbon monoxide as a color fixative. Instead, the FDA determined it fell into the classification of chemicals generally recognized as safe. Lisa Sylvester, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: The FDA allows the use of carbon monoxide in beef, pork and raw tuna. Major meat packers, Hormel and Cargill, now say they would be open to special labels on carbon monoxide treated meat.
COLLINS: From food safety to toy safety, will you have toxic toys under the tree? China says it's cracking down but one suspect factory is still going strong.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Give one, get one. How you can help connect a child in a developing country to the worldwide web. That is coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Just because you pay your mortgage on time doesn't mean you're immune to the fallout from the housing crisis. Stephanie Elam is at the New York Stock Exchange to explain why. This doesn't seem fair, Stephanie. STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am going to have to agree with you, Heidi. Let's break it down a little bit. A new study shows the impact that foreclosures have on surrounding home values is not so pretty. Foreclosures are expected to be heavy through 2009 and the Centers for Responsible Lending says that nationwide property values will fall by more than $200 billion. It breaks down to about $5,000 per surrounding home. That's based on an estimate that more than 44 million homeowners will see their property values decline. It also means state and local tax receipts could be lower as well, Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Well, we are watching those numbers obviously. Awful lot going on there today. We appreciate it. Stephanie Elam, thank you.
ELAM: Thanks.
HARRIS: Judgment day for O.J. Simpson. Will he stand trial? Vegas? A decision is expected today. We are live from the courthouse ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A preliminary hearing continuing in Las Vegas for O.J. Simpson. Here he is just arriving at court. Let's do it. It's the ceremonial O.J. stepping out of the SUV, and what's taking him so long? He knows we're here. He knows we're watching. There's his attorney. And here we go. Any moment now. This is where it's going to get a little wacky, guys, but the preliminary hearing continues today. We should know by the end of the day, if testimony wraps up today, whether or not this case will be bound over to trial, and there he is. Orenthal James stepping out of the SUV, sunglasses and into court.
We are podcasting later today. Maybe we can bring you an update on the preliminary hearing with O.J. Simpson in the podcast. Who knows? But it will be chock-full of all kinds of interesting stories for you. Here is what you do. You go to CNN.com and you download the CNN daily news podcast. It is available 24/7 for you to download right onto your iPod.
COLLINS: A spooky sight at an Ohio gas station. No, I'm not talking about gas prices. Check this out. A strange blue cloud floating around the station. Hmm. Even caught on surveillance tape, as you can see. Several customers said they think it was a ghost. It stayed around for about half an hour. Maybe it was a UFO. Maybe they should have talked about this in Washington yesterday. After sticking around for a half hour, it sped away. Had somewhere to be.
HARRIS: Maybe that's the thing Dennis Kucinich saw.
COLLINS: Maybe. He didn't mention blue.
HARRIS: All right.
His family breathing a sigh of relief. A 10-year-old boy who admitted starting a wildfire north of Los Angeles last month will not be charged. Prosecutors say there's no proof he intended to ignite the brush outside of his home. The so-called Buckweed fire started when the boy was playing with matches. It scorched more than 38,000 acres and destroyed 21 homes and 42 other structures.
COLLINS: What Saddam Hussein said, an FBI interrogator now letting us inside the room. CNN's Brian Todd has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: War over weapons of mass destruction, but the man who allegedly had those weapons told his interrogator it was mostly smoke and mirrors. For his new book, "The Terrorist Watch," author Ron Kessler interviewed special agent George Poirot who questioned Saddam Hussein every day at least five hours a day for seven months. The former dictator's startling revelation.
RONALD KESSLER, AUTHOR, "THE TERRORIST WATCH": Saddam eventually admitted in the interviews that he was bluffing about WMD. He was afraid of Iran. He wanted them to think he had WMD. What better way than if America thought that he had WMDs. At the same time, Saddam admitted that he did plan to resume his WMD program, which he thought he could do within about a year when he thought sanctions would be lifted.
TODD: Poirot, a seasoned interrogator, told Kessler he believed Saddam because of his body language. According to Kessler, Saddam told Poirot he stayed one step ahead of U.S. forces on the night of the invasion.
KESSLER: Saddam also told George that, in fact, he was at the two locations that the U.S. bombed. Saddam said he was there, but he had left by the time the bombs actually fell.
TODD: Poirot told Kessler Saddam was a neat freak who would wash his hands compulsively if he ever shook yours. The former Iraqi president also flirted with an American nurse while in custody, writes Kessler, and had plenty of romantic advice for his young FBI handler.
KESSLER: Saddam said you know Arab women are better at a certain age because they'll be loyal to you, and American women are too independent.
TODD: The FBI would not let us interview George Poirot or obtain a picture of him because of his sensitive assignments. The agent told Kessler when it was time to part ways, he smoked Cuban cigars with Saddam Hussein, then ...
KESSLER: They hugged each other in the traditional Arabic way, which made George rather uncomfortable, but then Saddam definitely was shaken and teared up.
TODD: George Poirot told Kessler he found Saddam Hussein likable with a good sense of humor, but Poirot never forgot what an evil man he was and felt his conviction and execution were fair. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Well, not everyone loves a man in uniform. Calls for Pakistan's president to take his off.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Take off the uniform. Not something you would say to a general. Many are demanding Pakistan's president do just that. CNN's Jeanne Moos explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Never before has the leader of a country been so relentlessly undressed verbally.
PRES. GEORGE BUSH, UNITED STATES: He'll take off his uniform.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He told me I'll take my uniform off.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The president said he was going to take off his uniform.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold him to his promise to get out of uniform.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That he would take off his uniform.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why is it enough for General Musharraf to take off the uniform?
MOOS: What more could you want him to take off? It sounds like he's already been undressed down to his skivvies. It was President Bush whose choice of words first caught folks off-guard.
BUSH: And you need to take off your uniform.
MOOS: Take off your uniform? Another gay republican, joked one post. Liberal websites were uniformly unable to resist drawing parallels between uniforms. Air America attributed the take off your uniform line to president flight suit referring to the time President Bush donned a flight suit. And when President Bush told General Musharraf --
BUSH: You can't be the president and the head of the military at the same time.
MOOS: Critics hooted look who is talking Mr. President and commander in chief. Funny thing is next thing you know, President Musharraf did take off his uniform. A few days after President Bush mentioned it, the general appeared out of uniform to make some concessions. He actually wears suits a lot of the time. Mr. Bush's symbolic demand --
BUSH: And you need to take off your uniform.
MOOS: Echoed another famous challenge. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.
MOOS: Only instead of taking down a wall, Mr. Musharraf is supposed to take off his pants.
KHURSHID KASURI, PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTER: And he wants to take his uniform off.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want the uniform off.
REP. DANA ROHRABACHER (R), CALIFORNIA: Who cares if General Musharraf takes off his uniform?
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